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To infinity and behind

Movie Rating

Seeing every self-respecting movie blog making this kind of list, and 2014 being a pretty good year for the film industry, I decided not to step out from the crowd and make my own. There are many like it, but this one is mine (mad Kubrick reference), so without further adieu I present to you Top 10 films that you, dearest readers, should definitely invest your time in.

P.S. The order of the films DOES NOT matter here. They’re all quality films, some may be worse than others, but in general they’re not even that comparable. Again, here they are 😉

1.Birdman

Definitely an outstanding film,probably even one of the most interesting ones I’ve seen in a long time. The story, the cinematography and the cast – with all the elements combined, the movie makes an unforgettable experience with its long shots and great soundtrack. Not revealing the plot here – just go ahead and watch this damn thing 🙂

2.Interstellar

As washed up or corny this might seem, I want to include Interstellar in this list not because of all the talks about it, not because of all the appraises or curses this film got. I want to include it here because the fact is that after seeing it for the first time in the little cinema that I regularly go to, it made me not only fall in love with it, but go and watch it two more times – something I haven’t done for a long long time. Go McConaughey, go Nolan, go Interstellar!

3.Calvary

I feel like Irish cinema is not appreciated well enough in the worldwide community, but of course it’s not the only reason to include Calvary in this list. The real reason would be yet another amazing performance of Brendan Gleeson, great views of Ireland and an emotional story that makes this film what it is – a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow.

4.Foxcatcher

I was skeptical to see this film, because I didn’t believe in Steve Carell’s dramatic note – I’ve seen him before in Seeking aFriend For The End Of The World, and let’s just say that I was not thrilled to see his performance there. However, if you’re skeptical like me to see him in this film, throw AWAY all of the doubt and go see it – it’s Carell like you’ve never seen him before!

5.St. Vincent

It’s fucking Bill Murray. Nuff said 🙂

6.Locke

I’d never think that you can set the whole 85 minute film around one person, driving in a car for the whole time and it would still be a thrilling cinematic experience. Well, Locke proved me wrong!

7.The Rover

A fresh Australian look on post-apocalyptic world concentrates more on effect of “the happening” on human minds and behavior, rather than on what the surroundings would look like. Interesting touch, Guy Pierce is the bomb as usual, also surprisingly well delivered performance of Robert Pattinson. Twilight fans will be disappointed!

8.The Grand Budapest Hotel

A typical Wes Andersen film, a fairy tale like story of a European ski resort, with such plot twists as theft and battles for family fortune, all spiced up with the context of two World Wars and Anderson’s favorite symmetry of the shot. A perfect film for a cozy evening with a fire-place near by and a glass of swell red wine in your hand.

9.The Drop

I already made a separate post about this film, but let me repeat again – it’s not just good, it’s PRETTY good 🙂 One of the best examples of contemporary crime films, another highlight of Tom Hardy’s career and worthy ending for that of James Gandolfini.

10.As Above, So Below

Last, but not the least – I felt like I should include a horror film in this list. Though not being a great fan of horror cinema, As Above, So Below attracted me with its unusual concept and setting. I do agree with many critics that say it uses a lot of clichés like jump scares, but come on – it’s a horror film, how much innovative can you really be in that genre?

For this rating I decided to choose not only one of the most outstanding, but also a very diverse group of films. Therefore, I must note that the order is NOT significant in this particular rating, as the films are almost incomparable and are all great in their own way. Although the primary subject of their plot is not always the outer space itself, these films are indeed related to the topic. These are the motion pictures I picked:
1.2001: A Space Odyssey
Director: Stanley Kubrick
Release year: 1968
Cast: Keir Dullea, Gary Lockwood, William Sylvester, Douglas Rain

Touching much deeper matters than just outer space, Odyssey is clearly not only considered one of the best science fiction films ever made, but also that in the motion picture history as a whole. Stanley Kubrick shows us once again that art is not an answer, but a question and lets the viewers interpret the film on their own. With spectacular space panoramas and unforgettable plot, Odyssey deserves to be called one of the Top 3 movies on outer space.
2.District 9
Director: Neill Blomkamp
Release year: 2009
Cast: Sharlto Copley, David James, Jason Cope

Now this film is definitely something different. Produced by Peter Jackson and based on Alive in Joburg, a short independent film also shot by Blomkamp, this film is touching the topics of xenophobia and humanity, and asks an interesting question – what if the aliens that might visit us will not try to conquer us, but seek our help, will the humanity be humane enough? The film is shot with in a so called “shaky camera” style that gives the viewer a great sense of seeming reality of what’s happening on the screen. Again, not dealing with the outer space directly, movie will definitely make you think about it and if there are any other life forms out there besides us.
P.S. Mr. Blomkamp, I’m still waiting for the second part. You take your time though.
3. Moon
Director: Duncan Jones
Release year: 2009
Cast: Sam Rockwell, Kevin Spacey (voice only)

This movie is talking about the man experiencing crisis in the conditions of outer space. Even though Sam Rockwell is the only actual person who is ever shown on the screen, his performance is so great you forget this pretty quickly. Especially when (SPOILERS!) another clone appears and Sam manages to play two different personalities so well. Kevin Spacey, though not being shown on the screen at all, also becomes a major part of it, voicing the robot who helps the main character to get to the core of what is going on with him, ultimately showing human trades of character. Great film about the dangers of going to space. Also, if you ever wanted or still want to become an astronaut, this movie just might convince you to choose any other career path.